Holly Pond Mayor Bill Oliver speaks during Tuesday night’s special called meeting.

HOLLY POND — The Holly Pond Town Council voted to refund summer league fees during a special called meeting Tuesday evening. 

The town’s summer league was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so refunds to all the families who paid to play should begin going out later this week, said Mayor Bill Oliver.

He said he consulted the Alabama League of Municipalities about the refunds, and the organization’s legal counsel said a motion to refund the money would have to be approved by the council.

Participants in the league pay fees of $60 for tee-ball and $75 for baseball and softball, so getting that money refunded could help out some families that are facing unemployment or a reduction in pay due to the outbreak, he said. 

The refunds could have been approved during the council’s regular meeting next Monday, but doing it early means families in the town will get their refunds sooner, Oliver said. 

“I just felt like the faster we could get their money back to them, the better off and better served they are,” he said. “It may only be a week, but a week can be a big difference.”